5th December,
2022
PRESS RELEASE:
SUPREME
COURT JUDGEMENT ON HIJAB:
MURIC ASKS
TINUBU TO INTERVENE
An Islamic human rights organisation, the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has appealed to the presidential candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to intervene in the hijab affair in Lagos State.
It will be recalled that the Supreme Court ruled in favour of use
of hijab in all Lagos State schools on 17th July, 2022. MURIC is
worried that LASG has not made any statement since the ruling.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday 5th
December, 2022 by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The full statement reads:
“We are deeply worried that the Lagos State Government (LASG) has
not passed any comment on the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court which
ruled in favour of hijab on Friday, 17th July, 2022. The ruling
sealed a ten-year judicial tussle between the Muslims of Lagos State and LASG.
“Justice Modupe Onyeabor had ruled against the hijab on 17th
October, 2014 claiming that it was against the policy of LASG. But in a
unanimous decision, the five-man panel of the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos set
the high court judgement aside on Thursday, 21st July, 2016. The five-man
panel headed by Justice A. B. Gumel held that hijab was a fundamental human
right and a religious duty for female Muslims.
“LASG challenged the
Appeal Court’s ruling at the Supreme Court and the latter gave its final pronouncement
on the matter on Friday, 17th July, 2022, six years after the ruling
of the Appeal Court.
“Strangely enough, the government of Lagos State is yet
to say a single word since the judgement of the Supreme Court in favour of
hijab. Meanwhile repression of female Muslim students continue as school
principals and teachers claim ignorance of the Supreme Court judgement. They insist
on disallowing hijab until we can produce a circular issued by LASG.
“Islamic
organisations and Muslim leaders who were involved in the matter ran into a cul
de sac as LASG is not forthcoming on issuing the circular. All efforts made
to persuade LASG to release a circular failed.
“On the part of
MURIC, we wrote the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo,
seeking audience with her and she met us on Tuesday, 13th September,
2022. MURIC coopted other Islamic organisations like the Muslim Lawyers
Association (MULAN), Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Federation of
Muslim Women Societies of Nigeria (FOMWAN) and Coalition For Hijab for the
meeting.
“Although the Commissioner promised to issue the circular
this did not happen to date. As the pressure mounted from the Muslim public who
were eager to know why female Muslim children who use hijab to school were
still facing persecution, we initiated a text message to the Commissioner as a
reminder. This was on Monday, 17th October, 2022, more than one
month after she had promised to issue the circular.
“But responding to the text message a week later on 23rd
October, 2022, the Commissioner simply said the circular would now be issued by
the Head of Service. We began to see delay tactics on the part of LASG as
represented by the Commissioner. Or should we be tossed around like ping-pong?
“We are explaining all these so that Nigerians can see how we have waited
patiently all this while. We approached the court since 2012 instead of going
on protests because protests can be easily hijacked.
“Unlike the #EndSARS
children of multiple anger who came with the diabolical motive to destroy Lagos
(may Allah never allow that to happen), Islamic organisations in Lagos
submitted themselves to the rule of law and refused to tow the path of violent
struggle. The court case lasted ten years from 2012 to 2022. Haven’t we been
patient enough? Haven’t we been law-abiding?
“LASG appears not to
know that its silence over the Supreme Court judgement can be misinterpreted as
a deliberate attempt to undermine the rule of law and it may fall foul of
contempt of the highest court in the land.
“Perhaps the calculation
of the Ministry of Education in particular and LASG in general is that everyone
would forget about the hijab issue in the excitement of the ongoing electioneering
campaign and so it should be business as usual.
“But those who feel the pain of rejection and the agony
of stigmatization have not forgotten. Tears are still rolling down the cheeks
of the Muslim girl-child who face daily harassment, intimidation and dehumanization
for wearing hijab. Muslim parents at home are devastated by sheer fear of what
is going to happen to their hijab-wearing children at school on a daily basis. We
will not abandon them.
“It should be noted
that MURIC opted to arrange a meeting between the Commissioner for Education in
keeping with our avowed motto, ‘Dialogue, No Violence’, but whether or not this
move was appreciated by the authorities is another matter entirely. It will not
compel us to abandon the noble path of dialogue.
“We still have another option of dialogue. We have
resolved to take the case of hijab and the reluctance of LASG to implement the
Supreme Court judgement to the architect of Lagos superstructure, Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, APC presidential candidate and former governor of Lagos State whose presidential
project is our project, to wade into the issue.
“The legal angle of
hijab is over. The Supreme Court has blown the final whistle. But LASG has
refused to announce the final result of this game. This is the political angle
and Asiwaju can resolve this at this material time.
“Justice delayed is
justice denied and procrastination is the thief of time. As a major and special
stakeholder in the Lagos project, we have decided to take our case to him. What
happens when a government refuses to obey a court ruling? Is this the Lagos of
his dream?
“We call on Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene. MURIC
does not issue threats. We have never done it before and we will not do it now.
Neither do we issue ultimatum. But whatever LASG does with the hijab case on which
the highest court in the land has made a pronouncement will send a strong
message to Nigerians particularly at this crucial period.
“If any state
government must disobey Supreme Court ruling, it should not be Lagos State, the
centre of excellence. LASG has taken the lead in several areas. Other states
emulate Lagos. LASG should not reverse this trend particularly as it affects
respect for the rule of law, implementation of court decisions and recognition
of Allah-given fundamental rights of Lagos Muslims.
“LASG should not put
our backs against the wall. Where can a people go after securing a court ruling?
This is where we want Tinubu to come in. Lagos is his terra cognito.
“This matter should
naturally be of interest to leaders of the ruling party, the APC, in Lagos
State. A stitch in time saves nine. This is not the time to allow the
opposition to accuse the ruling party of taking actions capable of undermining justice,
equity, rule of law and democratic principles.
“The Lagos State
House of Assembly should equally be interested in a matter of this magnitude. Lagos
Muslims constitute a large chunk of tax payers in the state and the House should
show interest in anything that may affect them. MURIC has spoken.”
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC)
